The New Britain Rock Cats reached an agreement on Wednesday to sign a two year Player Development Contract, or PDC, with the Colorado Rockies. The Double A team announced the deal in a press release.
"We are excited to have a new Major League partnership with the Colorado Rockies and thrilled that they will be part of the Rock Cats exciting future. The Rockies have the same values that are important to the Rock Cats in community service and also have done a great job in player development and winning at the minor league level,” Rock Cats Managing Partner Josh Solomon said.
This will be the second time the Rockies will groom players in Connecticut. In the ‘90s, the Major League team worked with a franchise in New Haven. Some analysts believe comfort with the state and geographic advantages may have influenced this latest decision.
"You know, the Rockies could be playing in New York and you need a player and he could come right from New Britain up to New York. They could be playing on the East Coast, even Philadelphia or Atlanta, and you could possibly get them there,” former Major League pitcher and All Star Rob Dibble said.
Earlier this week, news spread that the Minnesota Twins, the Rock Cat’s Major League partner of 20 years, decided not to renew their contract with the team. The decision left the door open for negotiation and the possibility that the Cats would not have a 2015 season. Some blamed the decision on uncertainty surrounding a possible move by the Rock Cats to a new stadium in Hartford.
"I think the Major League teams look and say, 'we want some stability. We want to know where we're going to be.' And as great a relationship as we've had with New Britain all these years, we don't want to be in flux on where our teams going to be playing,” ESPN Radio host Paul Nanos said.
A proposal to build a new baseball stadium in Hartford will discussed during a public meeting at Hartford City Hall Wednesday night.